First years: Want to know why your fellows also chose to join JET? Returners: Lost touch with your roots and want a reminder of why you packed up your life to come to Japan? Below are the responses of six first year JETs. Justin Chao, Boston, MA, Ono Why Japan: I love…
 Returning this month is our “Where Are They Now?†section. In it, we share the words of wisdom of those who have gone before us back into the real world. Placement + years on JET  I was a prefectural high school ALT in Kusatsu-shi, Shiga-ken for 5 years. Favorite JET…
 As children, the excitement of no school during summer quickly devolves into crippling boredom. To pass the time, siblings may wage war, disasters are delivered unto kitchens, and the backyards have never before seen such ruin. As ALTs, our outlets may change, but ennui is just as likely to set in. For activities…
 Below you will find the answers to such pressing questions as “What is your favorite Japanese food?†and “What advice do you have for me, sempai?†These nine JETs have courageously risen to the challenge of satisfying our curiosity. Caution: Some reading between the lines is necessary. New JETs, we’d love to have…
My name is Penny Fox and I’m originally from Sydney, Australia, although I’m not sure now which to call my ‘hometown,’ since I spent the full 5 years on JET (2009 – 2014). I actually had 2 placements – one for the first 3 years, where I taught at a total of 10 schools (3…
 “Oh I almost forgot to tell you, today…†Who hasn’t started a sentence using these exact words during their time on the JET program? Facing situations that most of our friends and family back home would simply find odd or unbelievable has in many ways become routine for us here in Japan. However,…
What’s up Hyogo people, my name is Elliot Seeto. I’m from the city of San Francisco, California but I lived in San Diego for several years prior to joining JET. I’m a 2nd year JET ALT, and the current president of Aichi AJET. I reside in Tsushima, which is a small city about half an…
Who are you? Where are from originally? What year are you on JET? Where do you teach? What level? My name is Nicole Finch, and I’m from the hockey loving, maple syrup drinking country of Canada. I’m a 3rd year JET in Okayama City, Okayama, where I teach at two academic high schools, one academic…
On Sunday, April 5, the HAJET Book Club met to discuss Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. In hopes of enjoying the cherry blossoms, we met near Akashi Koen (Akashi JR station), rather than the usual Sannomiya/Motomachi area of Kobe. Alas, rain foiled our plans for hanami, so instead we found ourselves in a small café near…